บท 1: Chapter 1
Isidore Empire, also known as the Northern Empire. A desolate, icy wasteland, perpetually shrouded in snow, surrounded by towering mountains and deep valleys, where a hidden empire lay beyond the permafrost wall. The people here have gradually adapted to the unrelenting chill, their lives intertwined with the harsh realities, revering winter as their divine deity.
The place where I live is a small, peaceful countryside. There is not much to this simple village except for the kind and friendly people. Life here is a poor life.
The village is quite far from the capital and we are actually at the lowest level of society. My village does not receive the benefits of the empire, but is just a small, independent village.
I live alone with my younger brother in a wooden house in the north of the pine forest, quite a distance from the main village. We have always had to live in seclusion because of the war. The war between the North and the South has lasted for fifty years and shows no signs of stopping. Because of that war, my brother and I had lost our mother while father has gone to the battlefield.
Five years have passed since father went to war. And the hope of his return, has slowly dwindled to a mere ember.
Thirteen years old filled with unspoken worries. My younger brother, Dylan, is only twelve years old. The weight of the world has fallen on our shoulders since our parents gone. The small wooden house was all we had left.
Dylan, with his dark red hair, amber eyes that shimmered like distant stars. He was a bright and mischievous boy.
"What are we having for dinner?"
Dylan sat obediently at the dining table, looking curiously at me as I brought out the food from the kitchen.
"…Sorry, today we're having potatoes…again"
A decent meal was a luxury for kids like us. At this time, even though potatoes were cheap food, they were still a great value in a meal, because they were all we could afford at the moment. Just that, was enough.
"It doesn't matter, I'll eat anything"
I knew he was just saying that to comfort himself, the reluctance was evident in his tone as he spoke. Yet, sometimes his enjoyment of even the simplest meal, was a small consolation to me. Dylan was a sensible child, he didn't deserve to go through such terrible things, at such a young age.
There weren't many things for orphans like us to do. Sometimes I would try to sell some herbs I collected on the hill or run errands for anyone who would pay us. I was used to this hard life, a person with no education and no outstanding skills would have a hard time finding a decent job. Even as a maid. Moreover, our status was low, as we were merely lowly wild wolves.
"Can I go out for a while?"
"Where are you going at this hour?"
Setting down my fork, I turned to look at him. It was six o'clock in the evening.
"Nothing important, I just want to go out for a bit. Besides, it's still early"
A simple shrugged, his nonchalant attitude making me uncomfortable. It was as if he was up to something shady. He was clearly hiding something.
"Can't you do it tomorrow? Where are you going and what are you doing?"
Dylan shook his head, looking at me with a determined gaze as if it was urgent.
"I'm grown up now, I can take care of myself. I promise, I'll only be gone for an hour."
"…It's not safe outside…"
Although hesitant but I still reluctantly agreed. Dylan is a strong and smart child, in fact, the loss of our parents had taught him more about life than just being a naughty brat.
He'll be fine, I thought.
An hour since Dylan left the house. I threw myself into the remaining chores to keep my mind off things.
What can I do to give us a better life than just eating potatoes to survive. I was tired of poverty, of dirty and old clothes, of the tasteless, dry food.
Was there really a future where our lives would be better?
Suddenly
The piercing sirens shattered the peaceful silence of the night. The night sky was ablaze with the crimson glow of emergency lights as the village was rocked by the thunderous blare of bells coming from the capital. All of them were signaling a surprise attack in the night.
The battle for territory between the Wolf and the Dragon because of an ancient legend about the story of the dragon's stolen eyes.
Bursted through the front door, my heart pounding as I raced to find Dylan. He had left an hour ago, he was probably running errands in the village or playing somewhere.
This was bad, really bad.
My hurried footsteps took me out onto the cold street, where chaos began. The houses were locked and people were running wildly. Fear gripped the air as the once quiet street was transformed into a cacophony of screams and the frantic pounding of feet.
We, the Wolves, are small and weak compared to the destructive power of the Dragons. These brutal dragons, with their enormous wings and fiery breath, easily raze everything to ashes. While the capital was protected by the magic of the mages, small villages like the one I lived in were not so lucky. We had no mages or knights, no protection for these poor people when the dragons appeared from the sky and rained down their fury on the ground.
"Dylan! Dylan!?"
Ran through the streets, my voice was carried on the wind of chaos as I shouted Dylan's name over and over.
A fireball suddenly struck the center of the village with a deafening blast that left a gaping, black crater, turned the once pristine fountain to rubble. Dust and smoke rose from the ground, shrouding everything in darkness, accompanied by blood-curdling screams as more fireballs began to descend from the night sky. Massive silhouettes of dragons gradually emerging from above. A symphony of death.
"Dylan!! Dylan!? Where are you!?!"
The streets have been transformed into a devastating battlefield, consumed by raging fires and blanketed in a pall of black smoke. Small fires had started somewhere. In the smoke, the loss of vision disoriented me. A massive fireball suddenly struck on my run, the explosion hurling me through the air causing my body crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
Staggered to my feet, my clothes were dirty and my black hair was now completely messed up, the fall caused a small wound on my ankle that was starting to bleed. The world around seemed to spin with the echoes of the explosion as a deafening ringing filled my ears. It's as if I've just been through a living nightmare.
In the daze as I tried to regain consciousness, a small warmth, a hand urgently shook me.
"Wake up!! Get up quickly! We have to get out of here!!"
Dylan's grip tightened around my hand as he urged me forward, quickly pulling me to run towards the wooden house. A glimmer of hope flickered through my mind – the shelter beneath the house, our last chance for survival if we could only reach it.
A relentless barrage of fireballs descended from the sky, shaking the ground beneath our feet as we raced across front. Secretly hoping for luck to protect us. The deafening roar of the fireball crashing down filled us with terror.
"Hurry up! Go in!"
The roof of which had been damaged a little when the tree next to it collapsed. Without hesitation, we raced towards the cellar door. Once we were down, I slammed the door shut and secured the latch with all my might.
Although they have become familiar, the frequency of sudden nighttime attacks is increasing. So far this week, this was the third time.
We huddled together in the darkness, our bodies pressed close, like two frightened mice seeking warmth. The only light filtering through the cellar's small windows was a flickering, crimson glow from the fires raging outside. Time seemed to stand still when we were down here, a moment of peace amidst the chaos above.
Hours passed in silence.
In the dark, there was a rustling sound from where Dylan sat. He nuzzled his head against my shoulder like a poor puppy.
"…I miss mom…"
The sound of fireballs hitting the ground still showed no signs of stopping. I didn't remember how many times this scene had happened, until I was no longer afraid of those sound. But maybe Dylan was still scared, he was just an innocent child after all.
I wrapped my arms around him, my hands gently stroking his back in a comforting embrace.
"Everything will be okay…"
"…Do you think father will ever come back?…"
Honestly, I didn't know how to answer. Five years had passed without any news from father, extinguishing the hope in me when I thought about his return. Lies seem to be the best comfort medicine at the moment.
"…Father will…I know he will…"
Silence once again covered the cellar. The war was far from over, and the prospect of an enduring peace seemed as distant as the stars.
He also wanted to escape suffering, wanted a better life. Maybe he was tired of the patched clothes, disgusted with the bland potato soup.
Not the first time. We seemed to be all too familiar with the darkness of the cellar. Countless explosions accompanied by tremors.
Since when has it become like an all too familiar melody.
After four hours, the relentless assault on our senses finally ceased, as the deafening roar of explosions gradually subsided. The ground finally stopped shaking, I stood up, looked through the small narrow window of the cellar.
"…The attack has stopped. We can go out"
Each attack left behind a haunting picture of destruction, a desolate and ruined landscape. Houses were damaged, the ground was a patchwork of craters and black marks. There were a few fires that the villagers were trying to put out. Evidence of the crimes, the brutality of the Southern army. What they passed through and left behind, was only ashes and the loss of the miserable people here.
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